Blog Post

MJR 2016 Prayer Calendar for May 30

May 30th: Pray for men and women who have died in the line of duty. Thank God for giving us those who protect our freedom with their lives.

MAY JUSTICE REIGN 2016

Nothing brings people closer into alignment with the heart of God other than a move by the Spirit of God. When God’s Spirit arrests and captivates his people’s heart, that is the ultimate catalyst for seeing a justice culture. We cultivate and participate in justice work as a regular rhythm all year long, but every May we set the entire month aside to solely focus on it. Throughout the month we seek to answer the question, “Why the Church and Justice?” Beyond just answering that, we create opportunities for everyone to engage with it at multiple levels. So far, we have addressed clean water, human rights, beautification and restoration of the city, hunger, child sponsorship, foster care, adoption, reconciliation, trafficking and poverty. The entire series hangs on these tenets:

JUST THINKING | Through teaching messages, we capture a Theology of Justice and Compassion.
JUST SEEING | Through awareness and partnerships, we expose the needs and how to be involved.
JUST FEELING | Awareness precedes compassion. Through feeling we give ourselves permission to join others in their emotional pain.
JUST STEPPING | Stepping is where we move beyond our church walls and physically show up in proximity, to bring relief through acts of compassion and service.Each of these tenets are dripping with Scripture and biblical narratives, especially in the life of Jesus, as portrayed in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 9:35-38:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

JUST THINKING | “Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom”
JUST SEEING | “When he saw the crowds”
JUST FEELING | “He had compassion on them”
JUST STEPPING | “Send out workers into his harvest field”

Below are the 11 opportunities we have for you to participate in during May Justice Reign.

Opportunity 1 | COFFEE CREEK BAGS [all month]
Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the only women’s prison in Oregon is here in Wilsonville. Every year, there are ladies released from the prison after their sentences have been served and they return home to their families. For many of those women, they have to carry their belongings in a cardboard box on a bus, traveling for hours to get home. We want to support these women by giving them a rolling duffel bag and basic supplies to help them travel home. If you are interested in sponsoring a bag for $35 and helping these women travel with dignity, please visit the MJR area in the back or visit the Grace Chapel App.

Opportunity 2 | WELCOME BOXES [all month]
When children are removed from their home to be placed in foster care, they leave with nothing. They will often sit in a DHS office for hours while their case worker tries to find a placement for them. A Welcome Box provides these kids with some basic necessities for a new home placement, along with toys and snacks to raise their spirits while they wait. This is a great opportunity for family on mission! If you would like to take a box, fill it, and bring it back to Grace Chapel, please visit the MJR area in the back.

Opportunity 3 | WITH LOVE [all month]
We love foster families. They change lives and impact futures. With Love, is honored to support their journey by lending safe, clean, quality clothing and supplies to children ages 0-5. All foster parents and children deserve items that protect and care for their new family. We strive to make that gift a reality. We are partnering with With Love to donate clothing items to help assist foster families. Visit the MJR area in the back to receive a tag with what to purchase.

Opportunity 4 | SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM [all month]
There are a large number of children in Wilsonville who rely on the free or reduced-fee lunch program provided by the school district. When school is not in session, the opportunities for food for these families decrease significantly. To help fill that need, we are starting a weekly summer lunch program out of Heart of the City that is open to the community. This will be a very large project with both time and money. If you would like to support this cause by volunteering or please visit the MJR area in the back and speak with Lauren for more details.

Opportunity 5 | COLOR THROUGH THE UGLY [all month]
Color Through the Ugly (CTTU) is one local 8th grade girls dream to encourage kids to creatively pursue their dreams, and express themselves through art. We are partnering with CTTU so that kids can use art as a safe way to express emotions and thoughts, or simply distract from a devastating past. Visit the MJR area in the back to find out what supplies are needed!! (new and slightly used supplies are requested)

Opportunity 6 | PRAYER CALENDAR [all month]
As we move through the month of May, we want to guide not only our thoughts and our steps toward justice, but also our prayers. This year we are providing a calendar that gives guided prayer prompts for each day of May. Pray through these areas of justice with your family. If you need a prayer calendar, please see the MJR area in the back. We will post each day’s prayer on our app and through this link.

Opportunity 7 | MJR NIGHT OF JUSTICE [May 11]
We will be screening a documentary called Compelled by Love, May 11 at 7PM. Compelled by Love is a powerful, inspiring and definitive portrait of Heidi Baker, a modern day Mother Teresa, whose ministry is based in over 30 nations around the world. Shot on the run over a period of 20 years, in 10 countries and on 4 continents in war zones, brothels, bushes, and Ivy League campuses, from Hollywood to Mozambique, this film transcends all political, religious, and social barriers. Follow Rolland and Heidi Baker’s journey into the world’s darkest and most desperate places, as their pursuit of the presence of God has transformed a nation through love in action. The film chronicles the power of one life fully yielded to God and the truth that love wins.

Opportunity 8 | INTRO TO HEART OF THE CITY [May 15]
Grace Chapel is dedicated to the community of Wilsonville and beyond. In order to meet some very real needs in our area, we opened Heart of the City, an outreach center that loves and serves the whole person and whole community. If you would like to find out more about how Heart of the City functions, tour the building, and learn about upcoming projects, come on May 15 from 1:30PM – 2:30PM to be introduced to Heart of the City. (28925 SW Boberg Rd. Wilsonville, OR 97070)

Opportunity 9 | ANLM CHILD SPONSORSHIP [May 22]
Africa New Life Ministries is changing a generation of people through child sponsorship, education, health, and spreading the Kingdom of God in Rwanda. On May 22 we will hear more about ANLM and how to partner with them. For more information about Africa New Life Ministries or how to sponsor a child, visit africanewlife.org or visit the MJR area in the back.

Opportunity 10 | BLOOD DRIVE [May 26]
There are many opportunities to give of our time and our money, but much fewer opportunities to give of our physical body. Heart of the City is hosting a blood drive on Thursday, May 26 from 2:00PM – 7:00PM for those that want to use the body God gave us to serve others. Each pint of blood can help up to 3 different people! If you are interested in donating blood, please visit the MJR area in the back to schedule.

Opportunity 11 | COFFEE CREEK BAG PACK DAY [May 28]
On Saturday May 28 from 9:00AM – 11:00AM we will be taking the Coffee Creek duffel bags (see Opportunity 1) and packing them as a group. This is a fun, active event that is perfect for the whole family! Bring your kids and your enthusiasm and we will prepare these bags for the women released from Coffee Creek!